This article is a joint investigation between Nordsint and Verstka Media. Verstka’s investigation in Russian is available at Verstka.media
Following the 2023 death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) moved to replace Wagner’s operations in Africa with a new unit known as the Africa Corps. The Corps has effectively taken over many of Wagner’s former positions on the continent, absorbing not only its former mercenaries but also its recruiters. These former Wagner recruiters have updated their social media profiles and are now calling on others to join the MOD’s “elite unit.” This joint investigation between Nordsint and Verstka reveals who is sending Russians to the Africa Corps, what they are promised in return, and the fate of remaining Wagner members in Africa.
“We fight for justice and Russia’s interests on any continent.”
The recruitment of Russians into the Africa Corps of the Ministry of Defense began around a year ago, in late 2023. Initially, they planned to enlist 20,000 soldiers and deploy them across five countries—Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Niger.
Recruitment messages for the Corps state, “Our profession is war; we fight for justice and Russia’s interests on any continent,” additionally noting that they work alongside commanders from elite Russian Armed Forces and private military units.
Almost immediately, the Africa Corps announced that it would give preference to former employees of the Wagner Group, a requirement that has remained to this day. Nordsint and Verstka discovered that the Africa Corps has also lured former Wagner recruiters to work. In at least four cases, recruiters from its regional recruitment campaign changed their Telegram avatars from Wagner emblems to the logo of the Africa Corps. They also changed their usernames, and are now advertising official contract service in the ranks of the Ministry of Defense.
“Everything went to hell after the death of the leadership”
A former Wagner recruiter in Perm Oblast began working for the Ministry of Defense; the owner of the Telegram account deleted previous avatars with emblems of the Wagner Group and uploaded new ones with the symbols of the Africa Corps. Despite this, the account retained the old username “pmcW59” (PMC Wagner). The phone number provided by the Wagner Group for regional recruitment in Perm also directly links to the account. In a conversation with Verstka, the account confirmed that it is currently recruiting for the Ministry of Defense’s Corps. However it was not possible to concretely determine the identity behind the account. At the same time, the head of the Perm representative office of the Wagner Group, 47-year-old Andrey Borisenko, also publishes calls to join the ranks of the Africa Corps on his VKontakte page. His page also contains posts with calls to join the Ministry of Defense which are adjacent to quotes from Prigozhin and audio recordings of his criticism of the ministry. Borisenko himself is a former member of the Wagner Group, and participated in the war in Donbass and in military operations in Syria.
Screenshot of Perm Oblast recruitment account.
The Wagner recruiter in Crimea and Oryol Oblast has also switched organizations. Previously, the recruiting Telegram account with the nickname “WagneR_Shinigami” recruited volunteers for Prigozhin’s Wagner Group, and now publishes calls to join the MOD’s Africa Corps. In the account’s profile description, the recruiter notes that “the regional representative of the Wagner PMC in Crimea is on leave”. When contacted by Verstka, the user confirmed that they are currently recruiting volunteers solely for the Ministry of Defense and offered a one year contract.
As Nordsint and Verstka discovered, the phone number linked to the Crimean account is associated with at least three employees of the Wagner Group. Among them are 46-year-old Vladimir Aleksanyan, 31-year-old Stanislav Topakov, and 41-year-old Alexander Rogachev. In data leaks, Stanislav Topakov, a resident of Myski in the Kemerovo Region, was listed as an employee of the dissolved PMC Wagner Center. In addition, he published photos with the group’s emblems and photos in military uniform on his VK page. Aleksandr Rogachev, a resident of Rtishchevo in the Saratov Region, was also listed as an employee in the PMC Wagner Center, but as a “mercenary.” A third individual, Vladimir Aleksanyan, a native of Armenia and a resident of Novocherkassk, was registered to the phone number. Aleksanyan worked as an instructor in the public organization “League for the Protection of the Interests of Veterans of Local Wars and Conflicts,” which is affiliated with the Wagner Group.
Screenshot of the Crimean Telegram account.
Two former recruiters for the Wagner Group from Moscow city and Moscow Oblast have changed employers. The first recruiter, who was previously involved in recruiting for Wagner’s African operations, said he is no longer affiliated with the mercenary group. Instead, he now offers the option to “sign a contract for the special military operation (SVO)” — the Russian government’s term for the war in Ukraine — with the Ministry of Defense in Moscow or to “join the Ministry of Defense’s Africa Corps.”
The second recruiter, previously engaged in Wagner recruitment in the Moscow region confirmed to Verstka that he no longer works with Wagner and advised against accepting deployments to Africa under their name.
“Commitments for medical and material assistance to those wounded in the SVO remain unfulfilled,” he said. “Everything went to hell after the leadership died.”
Screenshot of Moscow account from Telegram.
“The entire structure is now under the Ministry of Defense”
Three sources familiar with the situation told Verstka that the Africa Corps is increasingly pushing Wagner out of Africa. One source specified that the group has already been replaced by Ministry of Defense volunteers in Libya. “Wagner won’t be in Mali by the end of the year either—only the Africa Corps and some separate Ministry of Defense units,” he said.
Despite this, Wagner continues recruiting volunteers for “remote destinations,” albeit on a smaller scale. Six months ago, at least 10 people were involved in recruitment, each with their own phone number, but now, recruitment is conducted through only three phone numbers.
Verstka reached out to one of the recruiters. When asked through what organization he was offering deployments to Africa, he responded, “Through Wagner Group, not the Ministry of Defense” denying reports that Wagner had ceased operations in Africa.
However, the list of candidate requirements he sent to Verstka is identical to the Ministry of Defense’s list. Sources from Verstka also noted that the Wagner Group emblem is being used for promotional purposes: in reality, volunteers sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense and are sent on the so-called assignments.
“The entire structure is now under the Ministry of Defense,” one of the military sources commented.
Photo from the “White Uncles in Africa” Telegram channel with the caption “Another fighter, a veteran of military operations, left forever for the halls of Valhalla on 07/27/24 in the battles near Tin Zaouatine in Mali.”
According to Verstka’s sources, some mercenaries who were in African countries when the MOD’s Africa Corps arrived continue to work under “existing agreements with local authorities.”
The rest were offered “incentives and threats” to re-sign new contracts with the MOD. As one source told Verstka, army commanders initially highlighted the benefits of official service, but if these arguments failed, they threatened criminal charges for mercenary activities, which are regulated by Article 359 of the Russian Criminal Code and can result in up to 18 years in prison. The exact percentage of Wagner members who have agreed to re-sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense is currently unknown. No criminal cases for mercenary activities against former members of Wagner appear in Russian court records. This issue is not discussed in the family chats of those deployed in the “African direction.” Family members continue to talk as before—about children, everyday matters, sending provisions, and sharing tips on coping with the “business trips” of their husbands, brothers, or sons.
“All-inclusive, five stars”
According to a military source interviewed by Verstka, former Wagner recruiters, in addition to advertising and recruiting volunteers, are also responsible for verifying documents before contracts are signed.
“Questionnaires, HIV and hepatitis tests, verification of relatives’ information—all of this is handled by former Wagner employees,” he said.
Based on recruitment descriptions, the hiring conditions for the Africa Corps have not varied significantly from those in place for Wagner volunteers six months ago. Potential recruits must be under 55 and not convicted of crimes against sexual integrity or constitutional order. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense has imposed new restrictions—those in the “special military operation zone” (SVO), under investigation or supervision, with dual citizenship, or relatives abroad are ineligible for operations in Africa. However, according to Verstka’s sources, this last criteria mainly applies to relatives in Ukraine, and active criminal cases may be overlooked.
Members of the Africa Corps sign contracts with volunteer formations of the Ministry of Defense and not directly with the army. In return, the ministry promises service in an “elite unit,” medical support and social benefits, a military mortgage, a one-year contract with the option to end it upon expiration and a salary of at least 240,000 rubles per month “in foreign currency.” A source who has served in Africa noted that experienced personnel can earn up to 4,000–5,000 USD monthly.
“All-inclusive, five stars,” he said, describing the conditions. “Everything is provided on-site: full food, housing, weapons and ammunition.”
Photos from the “White Uncles in Africa” Telegram channel published in autumn 2024
In Russia, Africa Corps uses Wagner’s former main base location in Molkino, Krasnodar Krai. Additionally, according to geolocated Telegram accounts and posts by military personnel and their relatives in public forums, Mulino in Nizhny Novgorod, as well as a military base in Kubinka are also used by the corps.
One of the recruiters, whom a Verstka correspondent contacted while posing as a potential volunteer, stated that before an in-person interview, applicants need to complete two forms and write an autobiography. The forms gather information on previous service and employment, education, place of residence, details about close relatives and their workplaces, information about lifetime travel abroad, as well as medical data, records of any police detentions and information on religious beliefs. All completed documents must be saved on a flash drive and brought in printed form to the interview.
“You gather the documents and certificates, come to Krasnodar; we work Monday through Friday. Come to Dubinsky Lane, 5, at nine in the morning,” said a recruiter for the Africa Corps.
This address is also listed in the Corps’ guidelines for potential volunteers.
The Syrian link
In the city of Krasnodar, a two story building renovated in 2021 is located at the address where potential Africa Corps recruits are interviewed. Two organizations are registered at the same address: the non-profit organization “Center for the Development of Scientific and Educational Links” and the “Cultural Center of Syrian Youth.” Both were listed in the register of legal entities in August and September 2022. The owners of these organizations are two Syrians: 41-year-old Ahmad Hammash and 45-year-old Alasmi Ahmad. They also jointly manage a business, “Dimas LLC,” which specializes in wholesale jewelry trading. However, according to the company’s financial reports, it has not been active in recent years.
According to leaked data obtained by Verstka, Alasmi Ahmad obtained Russian citizenship in 2006 while residing in the Syrian city of Daraa. In 2007, a new passport was issued in his name, with Krasnodar listed as the place of issuance. It remains unclear what exactly Ahmad is doing in Krasnodar, but he presents himself as a public figure and, in 2023, sent humanitarian aid with volunteers from his cultural center to help those affected by the earthquake along the Syria-Turkey border.
The owner of the second public organization at the recruitment address, Ahmad Hammash, teaches political science and political management at Kuban State University and also heads the Krasnodar City International Friendship Club. Additionally, in phone directories, his phone number is listed as a contact for the Syrian Embassy in Moscow. Hammash’s brother, Mustafa, is a former Syrian military serviceman. In 2018, he spoke at a Krasnodar youth roundtable and discussed counterterrorism and extremism practices in Syria.
Verstka contacted Ahmad Hammash and Alasmi Ahmad for comments, seeking clarification on the activities being carried out at 5 Dubinsky Lane in Krasnodar. Verstka was unsuccessful in contacting Alasmi Ahmad. He did not answer phone calls, and the email listed in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities turned out to be invalid. Ahmad Hammash responded stating that an office does exist at the address, but holds no affiliation with the Ministry of Defense. Ahmad Hamash did not respond as to why he is listed in phone contact databases as “Ahmad Molkino” (Molkino being a base of the Africa Corps) at the time of publishing.
“Good Old Army Idiocy”
While recruiters praise the Africa Corps and recommend it for deployment to “remote destinations,” the fighters themselves complain about payment issues, breaches of contracts and lack of communication.
“I’m in the Africa Corps, I wouldn’t wish this on the enemy, let me start with the most interesting part,” wrote one volunteer on a military forum (original format preserved with minor changes). “1) They’ve been promising recalculation of payments for several months, but nothing has come. 2) My deployment contract is almost a year long, and they can’t send me home. 3) Lies are everywhere, from deadlines to money.”
At the end, the author added, “They don’t mean business, it’s good old army idiocy.”
“Anyone who wants to leave the army for this will spend several months without pay,” wrote another user. “They’ll keep feeding you lies about how good it is here, don’t fall for it, I did, and now I can’t do anything here.”
Verstka’s sources among military personnel neither confirmed nor denied these claims.
Illustrations by Michael Scarn
Article by Verstka and Ryan X (Nordsint lead researcher)